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Two internet fraudsters bag jail terms in Kaduna

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The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of two internet fraudsters before Justice Balarabe Buhari of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna.

They were jailed on Wednesday April 3,  2024 on one- count separate charges bordering on cybercrimes.

The convicts are Aaron Barnabas (a.k.a Helena Antonio) and Bosan Godwin Yacham(a.k.a Will Parfitt).

The one -count charge for Barnabas reads: “Aaron Barnabas (a.k.a Helena Antonio) Sometimes in October, 2023 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Helena Antonio on Facebook, obtained the sum of $200 (Two Hundred United States of America Dollars) from Mauro Nunes and unsuspecting persons, and you thereby committed cheating by impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

The charge for Yacham reads, “Bosan Godwin Yacham (a.k.a Linnette Pickard)  Male, sometimes in November, 2023 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Will Parfitt from Australia on Facebook, obtained the sum of $100 (One Hundred United States of America Dollars) from Elizabeth Fier and unsuspecting persons, and you thereby committed cheating by impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

They all pleaded guilty to their one-count charges respectively when they were read to them, prompting the prosecuting counsel,  Y.J Matiyak to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Buhari consequently convicted and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each or pay a fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) each. They also forfeited their phones used to commit the offences to the government. While Barnabas restituted the sum of $200( (Two Hundred United States of America Dollar), Yacham  restituted $100 (One Hundred United States America Dollars) to the government.

The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when they were arrested at Keffi, Nasarawa state following a sting operation conducted by Operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command working on intelligence.

Investigations showed that they fraudulently assumed identities of foreigners to create fictitious social media accounts to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.

Crime

Man sentenced to one year in prison over inheritance fraud

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Maiduguri Zonal Command, on Tuesday secured the conviction and sentencing of one Isiyaku Ibrahim before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court.

Isiyaku Ibrahim was prosecuted on a one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N12 million.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this via its X handle on Tuesday.

It said the properties involved in the inheritance fraud include three houses, two fenced lands one of which had seven shops, two bread factories, one open land, two truck tankers and one big installed generator.

The charge reads: “That you Isiyaku Ibrahim and Mallam Ibrahim sometime between 2014 to 2019 at Jajere Baga Road, Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties belonging to Muhammad Isiyaku (now deceased) to wit: (1) Three Houses, (2) Two fenced lands one of which had seven shops, (3) two bread factories, (4) one open land, (5) two truck tankers and (6) one big installed generator, valued at N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) only and thereby criminally misappropriated the said amount to your personal use, to the detriment of the family members of the deceased and therefore committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State and Punishable under section 309 of the same law.”

Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced Ibrahim to one-year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine.

 

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I have no evidence to prove that i collected money for Emefiele – Witness

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The second prosecution witness, John Ayoh in ongoing trial of the former governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele who is standing trial over an alleged gratifications and others, has admitted that he has nothing to prove that the defendant instructed money on his behalf .

The witness who was a former CBN director of Information Technology (ICT) admiited this while being cross examine by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo over his testimony that he collected $400, 000 and $200, 000 on behalf of the defendant from contractors.

The witness gave testimony before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court, (Special Offence), Ikeja on
23 -counts charge bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand and others slammed on Emefiele and one other by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ayoh was led in Evidence in Chief by the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo in which he detailed his role in the alleged offence preffered against Emefiele by EFCC

However , under cross examination by the defendant’s counsel, Ojo, the witness said his duty as CBN ICT director then, did not required running errands for Emefiele, but he worked directly with the former CBN governor then.

Ayoh testified that he began to worked directly with Emefiele when the former Deputy Governor (Mr Adelabu) resigned .

He admitted that Emefiele was not in charge of the Procurement and Support Services Department is in charge of procurement (PSSD) of CBN , which has the sole responsibility of selecting successful contract bidders.

The witness also admitted that Emefiele didn’t informed him whether the money he collected was for gratification for the award of contracts.

Ayoh also informed the court that he didn’t gave any evidence to proof that he collected money on behalf of Emefiele from contrators to EFCC.

He also revealed that it was CBN’s
Major Contract Tender Committee (MCTC) that takes final decision on award of contract with recommendation from PSSD and . Emefiele was not a member of the committee.

The witness stated that Emefiele was only a member of the Committee of Governors (COG) and their decisions are collegiate;

Ayoh further admitted that he was not told by anybody that the money given to him was briber for contract awarded but he just implied that by himself.

Besides, he also admitted that he did not acknowledge the receipt of the money nor countef it

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EFCC probes 13 suspected oil thieves in Lagos

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal Command, has commenced investigation of 13 suspected oil thieves who were handed over to it by the Nigerian Navy in Lagos.

This was disclosed on the X handle of the EFCC on Tuesday, April 30.

The commission revealed that the suspects, alongside the vessel, were intercepted and arrested by officers of the Nigerian Navy for alleged oil bunkering and Automatic Identification System, AIS, infractions.

The post reads in part: “Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have commenced investigation of 13 suspected oil thieves and a vessel, MT SWEET MIRI, handed over to the Commission by the Nigerian Navy NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos State.

“The suspects are: Abu Smith, Pascal Anyafulu, David Ali, Mba Okpanu, Chukuma Friday Obiazi, Miye Victor and Richard Kofi.

“Others are Monday Aidenagbon, Dele Olayemi, Boma Robinson, David George, Onos Edemefe, and Suleiman Aremu.

“The vessel was laden with about 1,322 metric tonnes of substance “confirmed to bear the attributes of crude oil without any document permitting her to be in possession of the substance.”

The commission’s Head, Extractive Industry Fraud Section, EIFS, Moses Awolusi, assured the Navy that the suspects and the exhibits would be subjected to further investigations and prosecution.

He also commended the Navy for its collaboration with the EFCC and the good working relationship both agencies had enjoyed over the years.

 

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